Lockdown

Post-lockdown camping could be a very different experience for many of us this year. Although many campsites in England will finally begin to reopen on 4th July, some will be choosing to keep facilities including showers and toilets closed.

Pretty and well maintained grounds — *Park Foot campsite, Cumbria*

So how can you stay clean on your next camping trip with so many campsites closing their toilet and shower facilities? We round up some of the best camp toilets and showers to keep you clean on your summer camping trip, as well as some great campsite entertainment ideas to keep the whole family occupied.

Stay clean at the campsite…

Colapz Rechargable Portable Camping Shower

With a rechargeable battery, the Colapz camping shower is a genius bit of kit and means you can stay clean throughout your camping trip. Consider constructing a privacy screen outside of your tent or pop on swimwear to shower.

Expect to pay around £72.00 – £81.00
Buy the Colapz portable camping shower

Hi-Gear Annex Utility Tent

Taking your own portable camp toilet camping with you is one, thing, but when it comes to grabbing a bit of privacy on the privvy, a toilet tent will definitely come in handy.

Expect to pay around £37.50
Buy the Hi-Gear Annex Utility Tent

SoftFibre Triangle Print Travel Towel

Travel towels are ideal for camping and whether you opt for a quick wash in the tent using a good old bucket and warm water or you’re lucky enough to bag a pitch at a campsite with open showers, lightweight, quick-drying towels are a camping essential.

Expect to pay from £15.99 – £22.99
Buy the SoftFibre Triangle Print Travel Towel

LifeSaver Jerrycan Starter Pack With Shower

OK, it’s not cheap, but it’s is genius. LifeSaver make equipment designed for disaster situations, helping to keep people alive, and whilst I’m not suggesting camping this summer will be akin to a survival situation, easy access to clean drinking water and a shower could prove very useful.

Expect to pay around £259.99 – £307.97
Buy the LifeSaver Jerrycan Starter Pack With Shower

Hi-Gear Portable Flushing Camp Toilet

If you’re short on space, this compact camp toilet will do the job for a small family on a short camping trip. Please make sure you read our guide to portable camping toilets before buying.

Expect to pay around £40
Buy the Hig-Gear Portable Flushing Camp Toilet

Pits & Bits Waterless Wash Kit

Originally designed for festivals, Pits & Bit kits are also ideal for backpacking and wild camping, but if you’re facing a camping trip at a campsite with closed facilities, packing something like this makes a lot of sense.

Expect to pay around £6.50
Buy Pits & Bits Waterless Wash Kit

Kärcher OC3 Portable Cleaner

This is a bit of wild card, as it’s not marketed as a shower, but I’ve got one, and whilst it’s great for cleaning off mucky dogs, so if it can be used for dogs, I’m sure it could be used on people too. There’s a rechargeable battery, making it ideal for taking camping and there’s a gentler spray option, ideal for use on doggos and humans alike.

Expect to pay around £149.99
Buy the Kärcher OC3 Portable Cleaner

Popup Toilet / Shower Tent

There’s no sewn-in groundsheet to this popup privacy tent, making it ideal for showering in, allowing you to get naked rather than attempting to wash your bits through swimwear.

Expect to pay around £28.00
Buy the Popup Toilet or Shower Tent

Lifeventure Dry Body Wash

Quickly wash hands and body without water with this gentle but effective antibacterial gel formula. This dry body wash is pH-balanced so it won’t dry out your skin and totally biodegradable so it won’t damage the planet either.

Expect to pay around £4.99
Buy Lifeventure Dry Body Wash

Thetford 165 Portable Camp Toilet

Anyone who has seen our guide on how to choose a camp toilet will know that we rate Thetford portable camp toilets very highly, so if you’re looking for a family-friendly toilet, this makes an excellent choice and please do make sure you check out our camp toilet buyers guide so you’ll know what to look for when choosing a camp toilet.

Expect to pay from £65.00 to £76.00
Buy the Thetford 165 Portable Camp Toilet

Collapsible Water Bucket

Stick the kettle on and pour yourself a bucket of warm water to wash your bits in. Nope, washing from a bucket is never the same as a whole-body shower, but when a shower isn’t possible, it will at least keep sweaty body parts clean and fresh smelling.

Expect to pay around £14.99
Buy the Collapsible Water Bucket

Liberrway Camping Shower With Rechargeable Battery

Just stick the bottom doodah into a bucket or big bowl of water and hey presto, you have a camp shower!

Expect to pay from £65.00 to £76.00
Buy the Liberrway portable camping shower

Luna XL Body Cleansing Wipes

When all else fails, giant wet wipes come to the rescue and these are 100% biodegradable too. They’ll effectively clean away dirt and sweat leaving you feeling fresher, ideally pair with a waterless wash gel for the best results.

Expect to pay around £19.99
Buy the Luna XL Body Wipes

Kampa Dometic Large Collapsible Washing Up Bowl

When we camp we have two popup washing up bowls, one for doing the washing up in and a different colour popup washing up bowl for body washes.

Expect to pay around £12.99
Buy the Kampa Dometic Large Collapsible Washing Up Bowl

Stay entertained at the campsite…

HQ Kites 1.3m Symphony Beach III Rainbow Kite

Let’s go fly a kite….seriously, kite flying is one of those simple activities that’s massively underrated, this is an ideal starter kite and will provide heaps of flying fun for the whole family. Expect to pay around £24.99

Expect to pay around £24.99
Buy the HQ Kites 1.3m Symphony Beach III Rainbow Kite

Harry Potter Dobble Card Game

This little card game is brilliant, it’s ridiculously simple but highly addictive and easy for the entire family to play.

Expect to pay from £12.99 – £15.99
Buy Harry Potter Dobble

Go Find It Outdoor Treasure Hunt

Such a simple game, but it can provide hours of fun and encourages kids to discover more about the natural environment. The game is pocket-sized too, making it ideal to take away camping.

Expect to pay around £8.50
Buy Go Find it Outdoor Treasure Hunt

French Boules Garden Game Set

Cheap and cheerful boules set that’s ideal for taking camping and something the whole family can play with ease.

Expect to pay around £11
Buy French Bouled Garden Game Set

Beat That! The Bonkers Battle of Wacky Challenges For Kids & Adults

This is a great fun and very lively board game designed for families full of crazy but fun challenges, many of which are physical so you’re an active family and generally like being on the go, this could be the ideal game for you!

Expect to pay around £11
Buy Beat That!

Classic All Surface Swingball Game

Who doesn’t love a good game of Swingball? This is a play anywhere classic that kids and adult can play, great for at the campsite too especially if play areas are closed!

Expect to pay from £35 – £65
Buy Swingball

Where to next?

[Read More …]

Be sure to visit UnexploredPodcast.com and connect with us on social below.

Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – Pinterest – Youtube

Hear the Unexplored Podcast at any of the below…

Apple – Google – Deezer – Stitcher – Spotify – LibSyn

Camping Tips, Tricks and Adventures

Sponsored Post

With summer approaching quickly and lockdown rules still in effect, it’s unlikely that you’ll be heading abroad anytime soon. So this could be your summer to take the family off on a camping holiday to make the most of the surprisingly good weather that we’ve been enjoying lately.

Why not use your holiday this year to rediscover all the natural beauty that the UK has to offer, so with that in mind, here are 10 top destinations in the UK to drive to, along with some great campsite recommendations.

1.The Lake District, Cumbria

With some of the steepest and most isolated roads in Britain, the drive up to and through the Lake District can be equal parts scary and breathtaking.

Once you’ve made the drive, the bustling market towns and quintessential British pubs await. And if that doesn’t sound like your thing then there are plenty of hikes and walks to enjoy also.

Recommended Campsite: Mains Farm Caravan Site

2. The Wye Valley, Monmouthshire

The Wye Valley is one of our top 10 campsites to drive to because of its ancient woodlands, rolling hills and a stunning limestone gorge. Once you’ve set up at your campsite, there’s plenty of activities to keep busy. Such as hiking, kayaking, canoeing, cycling and glamping.

Recommended Campsite: Apple Orchard Caravan & Camping Site

3. Cairngorms, Eastern Scottish Highlands

Campers choose the Cairngorms for its epic vistas, watersports and charming trails. It’s also the main reason the Royal Family have vacationed here since 1852, with Balmoral Castle within a short driving distance. The drive along Loch Insh and Loch Morlich is truly epic, with plenty of sites to pull over for, especially if a bit windsurfing, sailing or kayaking is your thing.

Recommended Campsite: Blair Castle Caravan Park

4. The Peak District, Central England

Camping is one of the most popular and affordable ways to visit the Peak District.

Driving can be the easiest way to access the limestone valleys, gritstone ridges and moorland plateaus, which are spread far across the Dark and White Peaks.

Recommended Campsite: Longnor Wood Holiday Park

5. The New Forest, Hampshire

The New Forest is easily one of the best places to drive on a warm summer’s evening. The light breaking through the thick woodland kissing the vast, empty roads. It’s almost like you’re snaking your way through a national park in America. Except you’re not. You’re in England.

Once you’re done exploring the open roads, there are plenty of peaceful hideaways to camp at. From there you’ve got the opportunity to stretch your legs around a number of their hiking trails or just sit back and enjoy the scenery.

Recommended Campsites: Red Shoot Camping Park

6. The Brecon Beacons, Southern Wales

The Brecon Beacons is a mountain range in South Wales, notable for Old Red Sandstone peaks. Whether you’re driving across the rolling hills or exploring by foot, the views are spectacular, the peaks are dramatic and the air is fresh. So it makes total sense why campers love coming back to this national treasure, which definitely deserves a place on our list of top 10 British campsites to drive to.

Recommended Campsites: Pencelli Castle Caravan & Camping Park

7. The Yorkshire Dales, Northern England

Yorkshire is known as ‘God’s Own Country’, along with just four other places in the world, i.e, New Zealand, Kerala and Zimbabwe. You’ll see why when you drive along its gorgeous villages, stately homes and lush countryside. Driving is the easiest way for campers to reach the Limestone Paving Slabs, Malham Cove and the Three Peaks. So come pitch your tent at one of the many campsites and get your fill of fresh air and clear starry nights.

Recommended Campsite: Peaks and Pods

8. Snowdonia, Northern Wales

Snowdonia’s dramatic landscape, waterfalls and mountain peaks make it one of the top campsites to drive to. With Ffordd Pen Llech Pass once ranked as one of the steepest roads in the world, you’ll need a car with plenty of horsepower and that can deal with the odd bump or two. Our recommendation would be to make the drive in an off-roader like the Mercedes-Benz G -Class (Sandown Mercedes) which can withstand the steepest of terrains whilst ensuring a smooth journey.

Once you’ve navigated the pass there are plenty of campsites that give you access to the hiking trails around Snowdonia.

Recommended Campsite: Coed-Y-Llwyn Caravan and Motorhome Club Site

9. Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, Western Scotland

A drive around Loch Lomond will give you the chance to truly take in pristine Lakes (Lochs if you’re Scottish), rolling hills and plenty rich dense woodland.

What it might not allow you to take in, is a bit of sunshine – this is Scotland after all.

There are a number of campsites scattered around the loch, that are perfect as a base from which you can venture out to explore the surroundings.

Recommended Campsite: Lomond Woods Holiday Park 5*

10. The Pembrokeshire Coast, Western Wales

Home to a phenomenal seascape, rocky coastlines, cliffs, coves and the best surfing in the country. It makes sense why The Pembrokeshire Coast is the only British coast granted national park status. Campsites along the coast allow for quick sprints to the beach.

Recommended Campsite: Coastal Stay Camping

So if you’re wanting to plan a camping holiday this summer, why not try any of the magnificent destinations above. There’s a wide range of affordable, luxury and reliable new family cars to choose from at Sandown Mercedes.

DISCLOSURE: This is a sponsored post placed by Sandown Group. You can find out more about our sponsored post policy here.